At Kidmunicate, we believe very strongly that success and happiness in life are interdependent on these three C’s; Confidence, Communication and Community.

It’s summertime so where does community gather? At the community pool or at the beach of course.

I love relaxing around a swimming pool or on the beach while watching my kids have fun. Pools / beaches can be anything but relaxing for parents of kids with special needs, like hearing loss. This blog post by a guest blogger Patricia Sarmiento provides some water safety tips for kids with hearing loss.

Patricia Sarmiento, a health and fitness blogger, is on a mission to help those with hearing loss lead more fulfilling lives. She asked us if she could write a post for Kidmunicate that combines her mission (inspired by her dad’s hearing loss) with her passions, swimming, fitness and her kids. We gladly accepted.

Summers spent at the pool are some of my fondest memories from my childhood. And based on the high number of times I’m asked by my kids each day, “When are we going to the pool?” that they love it, too.

Every child should get to experience the joy of swimming. For one, it’s an excellent source of exercise. As this information on swimming and heart health notes, it’s great for the cardiovascular system, and that’s just one of many physical benefits. And secondly, it’s just plain fun. I mean, what’s not to love about spending the day splashing around with your friends.

But, too often, we don’t notice that children with special needs might not get to enjoy the pool like other children. For example, one of my son’s good friends is hard of hearing. And last year, when we asked his mom if he could come to the pool with us, she informed me that he was just learning to swim because it had been difficult finding swim instructors willing to work around his hearing loss. She made sure I knew we’d need to keep an extra eye on him.

Of course, I assured her that we would, and then I did a little research of my own on water safety for kids with hearing loss. Here are a few of the best water safety tips for kids with special needs I found:

Teach them how to swim. According to the Red Cross, among children ages 1 – 14, drowning is the second leading cause of accidental death. And that’s why one of the best things any parent can do to keep their child safe is teach them to swim. As this article for LiveStrong.com notes, for parents of children with hearing loss, the best option for swim lessons might be to check with your local YMCA to see if they offer lessons for children with special needs.

Notify lifeguards and parents about your child’s condition. Children with hearing loss may take extra time to respond to an instruction or may need to receive that information in a way that’s different from children who can hear. That’s why, as this blog post from HearingLikeMe notes, you should be sure the lifeguards at your local pool know about your child’s hearing loss so that they can keep an extra eye on them but also so that they know they’ll have to convey instructions in a way that your child will understand. And if you’re swimming at a backyard pool, either at your house or a neighbor’s, the same goes for other parents. Make them aware of your child’s condition so that they can help you keep him or her safe.

Dress them in a bright swimsuit or clothing. You can help yourself, other parents, and lifeguards keep an eye on your child by dressing them in bright clothing. As this parent of a child with hearing loss shares, she always puts her son who has hearing loss in bright orange or yellow swim trunks or a swim shirt. That way he’s much easier to spot in a crowd of children.

Reinforce the basics. In this article from SunCoastNews.com a swim instructor explains that children who hear often have water safety rules enforced incidentally through the course of a day at the pool. For example, a child might overhear another parent telling their child not to run around the pool. But children with hearing loss often miss out on that reinforcement. So, be sure to remind your child of the basics as often as possible.

My son and his friend had a blast last summer, and in the process, they both became better swimmers. We all can’t wait to return to the pool this year! With these safety measures in place any child with hearing loss can jump in and experience the fun of being in the pool.

Patricia Sarmiento is a health and fitness blogger who loves sharing what she’s learned about living a happy, healthy lifestyle and other health-related topics. She is a former high school and college athlete and continues to make fitness a focus in her everyday life. She lives with her husband, son, daughter, and the family dog in Maryland. Find her and follow her at her site, Public Health Corps

The Kidmunication Point

According to the CDC, about 2 to 3 of every 1,000 children in the US are born with a detectable level of hearing loss in one or both ears. Hearing impairments can affect a child’s ability to communicate and socialize. The pool is a great place to socialize for any child including those with hearing impairments, so don’t avoid it. Follow the tips above to make the experience more enjoyable for you and your special needs child. Also, if your child uses hearing devices, there are some water resistant hearing aids.

Have fun in the sun and water this summer.